DC applications for unemployment held up by system error

Jobless benefits application form.(Getty Images/iStockphoto/glegorly)

Some applying for unemployment online have hit a roadblock that emergency legislation was supposed to prevent.

According to NBC Washington, job applicants in D.C. are running into issues with the online application asking them to answer whether they have applied for two jobs before applying for unemployment, a provision that was removed by emergency legislation due to the coronavirus pandemic.

D.C. is working on fixing the issue as many employed by restaurants, bars, retail stores and other employers find themselves out of work as closures hit the D.C. area to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

The Department of Employment Services told NBC Washington that the applications are currently being processed by its staff and that the claims system is run by an outside vendor and will take a few days to update.

Additionally, the Department of Employment Services is hosting daily webinars to answer questions regarding unemployment insurance during the COVID-19 pandemic.

There will be a live question and answer session with DOES staff regarding unemployment eligibility and compliance after the webinars.

However, the next session that has space available is not until April 2.

Valerie Bonk

Valerie Bonk started working at WTOP in 2016 and has lived in Howard County, Maryland, her entire life. She's thrilled to be a reporter for WTOP telling stories on air. She works as both a television and radio reporter in the Maryland and D.C. areas. 

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